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Quantum coherence and anomalous work extraction in qubit gate dynamics

F. Perciavalle, N. Lo Gullo, and F. Plastina

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Phys. Rev. E 113, 054126 – Published 18 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/qxmt-m3rk

Abstract

We explore the framework based on the Kirkwood-Dirac quasiprobability distribution to quantify the contribution of coherence to work extraction during generic, cyclic quantum evolutions. In particular, we focus on “anomalous processes,” counterintuitive scenarios in which, due to the negativity of the quasiprobability distribution, work can be extracted even when individual processes are associated with energy gain. Applying this framework to qubits undergoing sequences of single- and two-qubit gate operations, we identify specific conditions under which such anomalous work exchanges occur. Furthermore, we analyze the quasiprobabilistic structure of deep quantum circuits and establish a compositional relation linking the work statistics of full circuits to those of their constituent gates. Our work highlights the role of coherence in the thermodynamics of basic elements of quantum computation and provides a foundation for systematically studying potential thermodynamic relevance of specific quantum circuits.

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Phys. Rev. E 113, 054126– Published 18 May, 2026
  • Received 28 October 2025
  • Revised 8 April 2026
  • Accepted 5 May 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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